He collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.
Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.
Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth.
Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.
And he’s watching.
Helen Fields, the bestselling author of the Perfect series, is back with a heart-pounding new book, her first stand-alone novel, perfect for fans of Cara Hunter and Stuart MacBride.
There seems to be a slew of truly terrifying books being released early this year. I’d blame COVID-19, but taking publishing timelines into consideration, these authors all began writing their frightening tales well before it appeared. It fascinates me how any author can spend so much time in these disturbing worlds. Perhaps I can ask Helen during her upcoming Better Reading Live Event on Wednesday February 17 at 8pm.
So here goes – this might be the most disturbing book I’ve ever read. Helen Fields masterfully weaves a very disturbing story, with incredibly well-drawn characters. If psychological thrillers are your thing, and if you enjoy a truly dark read, then you won’t want to miss this.
Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist and profiler, and her partner, Brodie Baarda, a London detective, are assisting the Edinburgh based Police Scotland team on capturing the Shadow Man. First Elspeth Dunwoody goes missing, followed by others. There’s no pattern. Next, a teenage girl goes missing… then a paraplegic man. No ransom notes. We must follow Connie and Baarda as they try to work out who this serial killer is.
Meanwhile, we’ve met Fergus on page one – in what might be the most spine-tingling introduction to a character ever. The opening chapter will have you checking the locks on your house before bed. Fergus is seriously the most frightening character – a scene early on where he marries one of his captives had me reaching for a drink to cope. He is a person with nothing to lose.
The story switches between characters, adding further to the darkness and fear, and keeps you guessing about how this will end. I couldn’t put it down. I was so tense throughout that I’ll now need to see a chiropractor. By now, many readers will know how I put truly scary books in my car, so they’re not in my house overnight. Well, this one went all the way back to the office.
The Shadow Man is a terrifying, brilliantly written thriller that will seriously mess with your head.
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